My first short solo trip

by Gur Prakash (India)

I didn't expect to find India

This journey is holds immense importance in my life as it aided me to feel liberated. Before I begin it, the background of it needs to be explained. I had just completed my intermediate and my age was 18 years back then. It was the toughest phase of my life as I had failed to clear the competitive exam for armed forces. I therefore decided to escape my hometown and spend two days in Allahabad (now Prayagraj) to make believe my parents that I had gone to face the interview in the Services Selection Board. That is how I planned my short trip by booking the train ticket of the night via ‘Nauchandi Express’. It was going to be my first AC train travel. I packed all the stuff required for the interview as my mother was also helping me out. But, I knew that I had to secretly put away all that extra material when I was about to leave. I did the same. Since, the train was going to arrive in the mid-night and my father had to drop me to the railway station, he instructed me to keep a track of the location of the train. The toll-free number kept telling me that it has got delayed by an hour. I believed that in the first instance. Then as I repetitively called on the number to listen to the automated information, I realized that it is inaccurate. I checked the same on the internet and found that IRCTC is not at all reliable. I woke my father and rushed to the railway station. Alas! it was too late as the train had already departed. Thereafter, we returned to our home in the chilly cold winter night. I again booked a ticket online, this time a ‘sleeper class’ ticket. I was furious on my father who kept sleeping and spoiled the beginning of my first solo journey. The damage was already done. Now, I had to save money so that I do not waste my parents’ hard-earned money. I boarded the train in the afternoon from Bareilly. Again, my father had dropped me to the railway station. The trip started from there on. I met a number of interesting people. Firstly, an astrologer who saw my palm and claimed that I am doomed to become a millionaire. He added that I will have two marriages and lead a lavish life. The next chunk of people was a group of adults who were traveling to Allahabad for some personal reasons. I interacted with them and they told me that they were also going to explore the city. The train reached its destination at 10 pm. I had no clue how to find a hotel in the night. As soon as I came out of the station, there were taxi drivers making every attempt to lure customers. I had to hire it as my mobile was not receiving signals. I asked him to take me to any cheap hotel. We went to three hotels initially which were pretty booked. Then the next one where there was room was not at all up to the mark. Finally, he took me to a distant hotel where they charged me 800 rupees per night. Little did I know that the taxi driver had some commission it. Later on, when I had checked out, the receptionist told me to avoid taxi drivers’ consultation to save some extra bucks. I had actually paid him too much. I planned my next day where I decided to travel on foot and hitchhike. I saw ‘Sangam’ river, a site of confluence of three sacred rivers. I went to ‘Anand museum’ displaying magnanimous artifacts of independence. I did boating and ate bread and butter to save money. Next day as well, I hitchhiked and explored the city on foot. Meeting people and donating some money to the needy beggars. That is how I ended my second day. I gave some tip to the helper in my hotel and reached railway station on time to return. This minuscule trip instilled strength in me to step out alone and see a multi-faceted world full of learnings.